Motherhood: The Highest Calling?

Amy over at Humble Musings had a very well-written post on the subject of the role of motherhood in the life of the Christian woman. I will add my experiences as I write some thoughts on the issue.

I love being a mom. From the moment I first became pregnant, I knew that I loved being a mom. I read everything that I could about mothering, became a devoted follower of attachment parenting and my role as mother the focus of my life.

At the same time, the Lord began to nudge me, no pull me, closer and closer to Him. I was writing lots of poetry after my first child was born but it became harder and harder to write about anything without mentioning Him. I made a note of this (it is still in my journal) but I continued to struggle to write more secular works that might be more easily accepted in poetry journals.

By the time I had my second baby, the Lord had worked on me enough that I fully gave my life to Him after she was born.

What I have come to see since then, as I have strengthened my walk with him, is that motherhood had become an idol to me. Just as the ancient Israelites worshipped their wooden gods in the high places, so I had let motherhood eclipse my primary role as a child of God, designed from inside out just to glorify Him all the days of my life and into eternity.

Motherhood is indeed a very high calling. God himself ordained at the beginning of the world that mankind live as family units and be fruitful and multiply. We see in the Bible how much Jesus cared for his own mother even as he was dying on the cross.

Many notable mothers are discussed in the Bible.

None of this changes the fact that we are primarily called, all of us, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts. We are to first and foremost pursue the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, not the kingdom or calling of motherhood.

The way I have come to see it, some of us are blessed to be called to motherhood as the vehicle through which we are called to glorify him and spread the Gospel.

We would all do well, especially me, to remember to put God first always and all created things, including family, after that.

I become the mother God wants me to be once I completely surrender my life and desires to him.

Lord, I pray that you would help to live for you and only you today. Amen.